


This Was Different

by avidbeader



Series: Avidbeader's Sheith Quote Week 2017 [5]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: First Meetings, Galaxy Garrison, Gen, Pre-Kerberos Mission, Sheith Quote Week, Sheith Quote Week 2017, Sheithquoteweek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-21
Updated: 2017-12-21
Packaged: 2019-02-17 19:34:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13083891
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/avidbeader/pseuds/avidbeader
Summary: At first, Keith thinks he shouldn't have bothered coming to the career fair.Sheith Quote Week Day 5: “If It Wasn’t For You, My Life Would Have Been A Lot Different”





	This Was Different

 

 

He shouldn’t have come.

 

Keith stumbled as he was pushed to the side yet again by one of the bigger boys . No “excuse me”, no “sorry”. The other kids in his group home had learned where his lines were. Within the home, a direct attack was met with equal resistance, verbal or physical. Anything that had the slightest chance of being interpreted as his fault or him being overly sensitive, especially in public, he didn’t respond. They were mobbing around the two-person flight simulator that the Galaxy Garrison had brought with them to the town’s career fair in its one shopping center.

 

He began to retreat, knowing that there was no way he’d get a chance to try the simulator by himself and that none of the other kids would go with him.

 

Another shove, and this time Keith fell to his hands and knees, unable to prevent a cry of pain as someone else stepped on his fingers. Jeering laughter echoed around him.

 

“Hey, step aside! Let him up!” The legs around him moved away and he was looking at a pair of polished boots and gray pants. A hand entered his field of vision. “”You okay?”

 

Keith took the hand and an older teen in an orange and gray uniform pulled him to his feet.

 

“Everything all right?” the boy asked again.

 

Keith flexed the sore fingers, confirming that they all moved as they should, and nodded. “Thanks,” he mumbled.

 

“Here, I’ll take you in the next round.” Over the sullen protests of the other kids, the Galaxy student--Keith assumed he was a student given his age--led him to the front of the line. He glared around at the others, his gray eyes going steely. “Shouldn’t have been rude, then.”

 

The doors to the simulator opened, letting two girls out. One had a distinct green tint to her face.

 

The student looked down at Keith. “Do you tend to get carsick?”

 

Keith shook his head and the student led him inside, guiding him to one of the seats and helping him strap in.

 

“I’m Shiro, by the way. What’s your name?”

 

“Keith.” He focused on locking the last clasp in place.

 

“Hi, Keith. Ever done anything like this before?”

 

Keith shook his head. “Just videogames.”

 

“Okay, well, this unit isn’t all that hard. It’s the first-level sim. Everyone tries it when they enter the Garrison. Takeoff is automated for you--all you have to do is use the stick control to stay in the air. Anyone who can do two minutes without crashing gets sent to the next level, and that one includes you having to steer for takeoff. Third level gives you control of acceleration and fourth level you have to try and land. Applicants who get through level three without crashing are encouraged to take classes in the pilot training track.” Shiro broke off as a light on the console went from red to yellow. “Okay, it’s ready for you. It’ll take off and when the light turns green, you have full control.”

 

Keith nodded and jumped slightly as the simulator moved around them. He watched the screen as the ground whizzed by faster and faster, then dropped from below them as the flight took off. The second the light changed, Keith leaned forward against the straps and began steering.

 

<> <> <> <> <>

 

Shiro was able to keep his eyes from going wide as this kid sent the simulator through its paces, shifting with turbulence with an almost uncanny instinct. When he passed the four-minute mark, Shiro couldn’t keep the grin from his face. He wondered what Iverson was thinking, standing outside and watching the sim run without a hitch.

 

At the 4:45 mark, the green light began flashing yellow. “That’s the time limit. It’ll just stop at five minutes. That was great! I’m going to see if the commander will let you do the next level.”

 

The boy had a sheen of sweat on his brow from concentration. His eyes were narrowed as he continued to steer correctly until the sim thumped under their feet and the viewscreen went dim. Shiro unstrapped himself quickly and got up. “Stay put for a second.” The boy looked at him, showing surprise and the first glimmers of pleasure, and Shiro paused. The kid had amazing-colored eyes, almost purple. “Stay put,” Shiro repeated as he opened the door.

 

<> <> <> <> <>

 

They didn’t let Keith try again immediately, but one of the adults asked their group counselor if Keith could stay until the end of the event. She didn’t look entirely happy at having to wait around, but Shiro began talking excitedly about Keith’s run and how he might be good enough to qualify for early entrance into the Garrison. As Shiro kept talking about scholarship opportunities, he put a hand on Keith’s shoulder. Normally this would have had Keith stiffening up, if not actually throwing the hand off, but the cadet’s touch felt supportive. When he didn’t move away from Shiro, the group counselor looked bewildered but said she would make arrangements for someone to come back for Keith if they promised to look after him.

 

Shiro moved so fast to confirm with one of the officers that Keith blinked.

 

Shiro took charge of him, taking him for ice cream and encouraging him to sample different flavors and choose instead of just saying “vanilla”. He wound up choosing the same butter pecan that Shiro ordered and they sat together, eating slowly. Shiro described what being at the Garrison was like and how he hoped to pilot space missions when his training was done. He asked Keith about his life and seemed to sense very quickly what Keith was willing to share and what he wasn’t. He steered the conversation toward school subjects, finding out what Keith enjoyed and describing the requirements for getting into the Garrison.

 

And then they got back into the simulator. One of the officers rode with Keith as he did another five minutes at the first level, then Shiro was allowed to sit with him as he did the second level. Keith held the plane on the runway and pulled up for takeoff when it felt right to do so and Shiro actually shouted in glee. The officers cut that sim at three minutes when Keith showed no signs of trouble and let him try the third level. Keith realized when Shiro tensed up that he was going too fast on the runway and adjusted, just in time to get the liftoff correct.

 

The officer came back for Keith to try the fourth level and talked him through takeoff, telling him how to time it better, and then spent three minutes going over landing procedures while Keith kept the plane going in the air. The landing was rough with bouncing, but he didn’t crash.

 

By that time another counselor had arrived to take Keith back. The officer and the older man with a scarred eye talked to him intently for several minutes and Shiro pulled Keith to the side. “Do you have a phone?”

 

Keith shook his head. “Just a tablet. It belongs to the school.”

 

Shiro filched a Garrison pamphlet from the stack and a pen. He wrote a number down one side. “This is my phone. Text it when you get a chance and let me know it’s you.”

 

Keith took the paper, frowning. “Why?”

 

“This way if you have any questions about the Garrison, you can ask me. They’re going to want you for early admission, I just know it. You were amazing in the simulator. Hell, in a year you might be breaking my record for the entrance tests!”

 

“Wait, you hold records? And you think I’m as good as you?” Keith was having trouble processing the idea that he might be good at something. That the Garrison thought he’d be worth their time.

 

“Truthfully? Better. You’ve got the instincts to be a great pilot. So, text me. And…” Shiro paused and seemed to be debating something. “If you want to talk, about anything, not just Garrison stuff. Anytime.”

 

Keith looked at the numbers on the pamphlet and back up at Shiro. “I...okay. Thanks.”

 

<> <> <> <> <>

 

Two nights later, Shiro was still feeling a buzz whenever he thought about Keith’s simulator runs. He was regretting not getting some kind of contact info for the kid and wondering if he could get Commander Iverson to find the address or number for the place Keith was staying. He shook his head and tried to focus on his assignment for Interstellar Nav.

 

His phone beeped with an incoming text.

 

**This is Keith. You said I could text. If it’s a problem, just say so.**

 

Shiro grinned.

 

**No problem at all! If I don’t answer right away, it’s just because I’m wrapped up in something or asleep. How’s it going?**

 

<> <> <> <> <>

 

Keith couldn’t stop the smile. Shiro had meant it. He really did want to talk with Keith.

 

This was different from any other interaction he could remember with someone older. It felt good.

 

**It’s going OK. I had a question. About Garrison stuff.**

 

**Absolutely. Shoot!**

 

Keith bit his lip, thinking on how to make his question as clear as possible, and started typing.

 

 


End file.
